Laika Studios Internship Application experiment.
Articulated Puppet for Stop-Motion made with affordable material
As part of a personal goal project, I challenged myself to do this for my application to Laika's internship. I materialized the main character of my film into an articulated puppet for stop-motion animation.
I know it doesn’t look amazingly detailed, and not that polished, but again, this experiment was my introduction to crafting physical models, and to be honest, for a first experience, I think it turned out way better than I expected.
Project Overview
To explore the fundamentals of puppet making, I created a detailed and functional figure, designed to move naturally and serve as a reference for future projects. My goal was to understand how materials interact and how to build an expressive puppet for animation. Well, since I've had no high budget or prior experience, I didn't use any fancy tools or joints for the articulations, I tried to get creative and utilize common materials I already had in my home and cheap alternatives.
Materials & Construction
Skeleton: Rigid wire for structure and articulation.
Joints & Support: Epoxy putty to strengthen connections and enhance stability.
Surface & Detailing: Biscuit clay for sculpting fine details, and aesthetic appeal.
Challenges & Learnings
One of the key challenges was achieving proper joint proportions and preventing material cracking during the drying process. After playing for a while and shooting the animation, I noticed the puppet wasn’t that durable. When I saw the rigid wire was cracking due to excessive bending, I realized why stop-motion utilizes much more complex structures and skeletons for the puppets. This hands-on experience ignited my passion for physical character creation, and I continued experimenting with miniatures even after the project’s completion.
Why Laika?
Laika’s innovative approach to animation, blending technical mastery with compelling storytelling inspires me, it always did, to be honest. I've been a great fan of this studio's work since I was a little child. I am eager and determined to contribute, learn, and refine my skills in animation, storyboarding, puppet fabrication, etc... under the guidance of industry experts.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I would love to have the opportunity to bring my artistic and technical abilities to Laika Studios, wish you all the best!
Fanart of Coraline with Skye!